


In Another Life

by anxiouswritings



Series: In Another Life Collections [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Clan Swap, Domestic Violence, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-29
Updated: 2017-05-29
Packaged: 2018-11-06 14:14:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11037849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anxiouswritings/pseuds/anxiouswritings
Summary: Sakura’s mother remains her entire world while her father stays a ghost in her life. It should upset Sakura more than it does, but she feels, in some way, she deserves this and is by now used to it.





	In Another Life

**Author's Note:**

> Wheezes. This has been sitting in my docs for months now and I decided I suppose I should post it. Just a small idea. I don't know how often I'll post to it, but there's not going to be a set plot. It'll be more like a collection of one shots I guess? Something like that, I'm not sure. Sorry in advance for any mistakes I didn't catch, I don't have a beta other than myself.

Her hair sweeps the middle of her back, a dark black-blue that is reminiscent of the night sky without the brightness of stars. Her eyes are dark and hollow, like she carries the weight of the world against her will since the day she was born. Her skin is pale and unblemished, true to Uchiha heritage and, naturally, she is as bright as she is beautiful.

x

 Uchiha Sakura has always known that from the moment she was born she has disappointed her father.  Not because she isn’t good. She is bright, best in her class, and hits every target dead on with an easy flick of her wrist. She excels in Ninjutsu (learned the signature Uchiha _Katon_ by age four) and her decent chakra control is built from hard, exhausting nights. It is simply because she is a girl that her father turns his nose to her accomplishments.

It’s not a secret that Fugaku has always wanted two sons. Sakura has lived with this realization since she was ten years old, after her mother had gently, with a quiet excitement, explained she was having another child, only to lose it three months later.

X

The gravity of it never really hit her until she is awoken, three weeks after the loss, by her parents arguing in the middle of the night. Against her better judgement she sneaks out of bed, slips down the hall on well trained feet and stops right in front of her parents door. The words are instantly clearer.

“You have no choice, Mikoto, this has always been apart of your duties since the day you married me. You have always been aware of the sacrifices you have made. What’s so different now?” Fugaku says loudly, but Sakura knows he’s holding back.

“We have  _ enough _ . Why do we need more? Sakura and Itachi are wonderful. We’ve always wanted two kids and we have two beautiful ones. Why do you suddenly feel so much need on this?” Mikoto speaks softly, ever polite and ever trying to calm the fire the rages beneath her husband’s skin. The same rage Sakura is sure she has too.

“One son and one daughter is not enough. We need two sons. What if Itachi dies in battle? What if he is taken prisoner and never returns? Who will carry on the Uchiha heritage then? We need to assure that the Uchiha bloodline will  **not** stop. We must stay strong and connected.”

“Darling, Itachi is one of the most skilled shinobi in this village, other than the Hokage. He’s already an ANBU at such a young age, I doubt he’d get himself in too much trouble.”

“Years as a housewife has softened you, Mikoto. You know how volatile our world is. How unpredictable. Everyday is a new possibility for disaster. You will bear me another child until we have a son.”

Mikoto goes quiet and Sakura wishes she could take a peek into their room, but it’s too risky. If she got caught now, she’d surely be more than grounded.

“I don’t want another child just because you need assurance that the clan legacy will continue. That’s not why Itachi and Sakura are here. I love you, but I can’t have more kids this way.”

Sakura presses her ear further against the wood, but she still misses part of the conversation. Suddenly there is yelling and Fugaku’s words are indiscernible. She only catches snippets. “ **_If you do not I will--”_ ** and  **_“This is not a choice--”_ ** Something solid and loud hits the ground and Sakura hears a soft squeak; her mother. 

Fury bursts through Sakura and it takes her all she has not to tear into the room and to her mother’s side. He will pay for this. Before she can do anything rash, she hears the final words trickle to her ears, more chilling than knowing her father struck her mother. 

“You will lose far more than your clan status. I will make sure of it.”

x

Nothing is the same after that night. Sakura sees the bruise that blossoms on her mother’s delicate cheek, but pretends she doesn’t. She doesn’t know how to feel when her mother gives her more attention, dotes on her like she’s her only child and lets her do things Sakura knows Itachi probably couldn’t get away with. Mikoto’s presence is a comfort, but it makes Sakura sad for reasons she doesn’t know. Her father shuts down entirely. He stops greeting Sakura when she comes home from school and when he speaks he is harsh and Sakura sees the resentment in his eyes.

x

Sakura’s mother remains her entire world while her father stays a ghost in her life. It should upset Sakura more than it does, but she feels, in some way, she deserves this and is by now used to it.

x

“Father was rough today,” Sakura says on a calm afternoon, fingers grazing over the fresh gauze on her arm with a slight frown.

Her mother is quiet for a moment, sticking a band aid carefully on her cheek. “He’s hard on you because he loves you,” she tells her daughter quietly, snapping the medical kit closed. Mikoto hadn’t been there for the training session, but returned from the market just as Fugaku was leaving the compound. Off to a mission, he told her when he brushed past her.

Sakura scoffs, looking at her scarred hands and eyeing the bandaid on her forearm. “You don’t believe that,” she says indignantly. “He’s never this hard on Itachi-nii.” The bitterness she didn’t mean to show makes her feel bad. Sakura has nothing against her brother. In fact she loves him dearly, more than words, but the sharp pang of jealousy never fades.

“Itachi is a special case,” Mikoto says carefully, smoothing her hand through her daughter’s hair, “There's no reason for you to compare yourself to him. You're your own person, Sakura, and brilliant in ways Itachi isn't. Just like he is strong in ways you’re not.” 

Sakura purses her lips in a pout, thinks about the way her father pats Itachi on the shoulder in pride and tells him he is the hope of the clan. It's unfair. Cruel, unjust and biased, but Sakura is as stubborn as she is temperamental and will fight for her father’s attention, even if it makes her suffer. 

“I guess,” she relents, looking at her mother. Mikoto is beautiful in the afternoon sun. Her skin glows with warmth and her eyes have the kind of kindness Sakura hopes to reflect on those around her. “But I still wish I was more like Itachi-nii. Maybe if I was a boy, father would like me more.” 

It's hard to miss the flash of pain on her mother's face before it leaves and her heart hurts at the truth that is still real, whether it is spoken or not. Mikoto says nothing as she stands, holding out her hand to her youngest child.

“Come, let's go make a get well soon package for Iruka-sensei in hopes he has a speedy recovery.” 

X

The substitute, Muika Nakano, isn’t what Sakura is expecting. The woman is blind in her right eye with brutal scars that stretch from her face to her neck and disappear beneath her high collar. One hand is bandaged to her knuckles and Sakura doesn’t want to know what’s underneath. She looks war-torn and horrifying and Sakura misses Iruka as their temporary sensei speaks.

“As you know Iruka-sensei is on medical leave for a short time and until then, I will be in his place. You will only address me as Nakano-sensei and speak when you are spoken to. Is that clear?”

From the half-nods and silence that settles over the class, the message is clear and Muika is satisfied. Even Naruto, who is always loud and rambunctious, isn’t feeling up to disobeying for the moment. Sakura idly wonders how long that will last.

After the usual morning roll call is over, Muika brings them outside into the mild spring heat for a hands on lesson. “You’ll be splitting into pairs of two,” she explains to the huddled class, piercing eyes silencing the murmurs of displeasure before they begin. “One will attack while the other blocks. The attacker’s goal is to get the blocker pinned to the ground. Once accomplished, you will switch. This is a basic Taijutsu lesson, I do hope you’ve been paying attention in your previous classes.”

There’s some guilty shuffling, while others look more confident. Sakura keeps her expression neutral, knows no matter what she’ll win. 

“I’ve been paying attention, believe it!” Naruto shouts from the middle of the crowd, pumping his fist into the air enthusiastically. Sakura resists the urge to facepalm as he continues, “This is going to be a piece of  _ cake! _ Watch out, whoever’s gonna be my partner, I’m going to have you on your back in five seconds flat!”

There is silence for a long moment and Naruto looks around curiously, unaware of what he did wrong.

_ That didn’t last long at all.  _ Sakura thinks, watching as the students part to leave Naruto in plain view. Muika steps towards the boy.  “Five seconds flat, eh? That’s pretty bold talk.”

Fear flashes on Naruto’s face, but he recovers instantly. “Of course! I’m going to be Hokage someday so this is going to be easy!”

Muika smirks. “If that’s the case, then running twenty laps in one minute shouldn’t be a problem for the future  _ Hokage _ .”

It’s her sensei’s condescending tone that makes Sakura’s blood boil and she digs her nails so hard into her palm she feels blood. 

While Naruto suffers through a punishment that is an example to the rest of the students, Muika splits everyone else into teams. Sakura watches, two by two, as her classmates are paired off. She isn’t offended she isn’t first to go, glad that the attention doesn’t revolve around her for the moment, but she isn’t blind to the way her male classmates eye her hopefully as their names are successively called. 

“Uchiha Sakura and Haruno Sasuke.”

The name, for a moment, doesn’t register until Sakura sees a head of dark blue-black hair bob in the crowd and she’s suddenly face to face with a boy with pale skin and dark eyes. 

X

Haruno Sasuke is, statistically, a nobody. He is from a small, mediocre clan with still genin parents living in a tiny, two bedroom apartment. Sasuke is, inherently, okay with this. He doesn’t care for flashy things and doesn’t like to be the center of attention. It’s unsettling and already hard enough to fend off his many suitors that only want his attention because he’s  _ pretty. _ He loves his kind parents (no matter how invasive they can be) and despite their low status, he is strong. 

He wows his teachers with his high IQ, passing every written test with ease. His ninjutsu isn't bad, transformations and clones come with ease and he’s learning his genjutsu isn't shabby either. Like his parents, he isn't skilled to one particular jutsu affinity but what he lacks, he makes up in other successes.

Sasuke, like most kids his age, has learned to admire the Uchiha’s. They are beautiful with their dark hair and pale skin, with grace that rivals a Jounin’s and power that is pure and overwhelming. He only knows Sakura through the grapevine. They are placed in all the same classes and it's hard not to notice her no matter how he tries.

While she can be cool and collected, she isn't really what he expected of an Uchiha. He expected, he muses, a graceful, emotionally in control ninja. Always setting the best example to the highest standards. Instead, on bad days, she is loud and rough with a temper that can be downright scary. She picks fights with bullies and puts anyone who bad mouths her in their place with a well aimed fist. 

He sees her with black eyes, bruises and pouted lips more than he sees her smile. It’s fitting and disarming all at once and he is sure Sakura will never make sense to him.

x

They stare at each other, unblinkingly, neither breathing. Sakura finally scowls and turns on her heel, marching to an empty spot that isn’t taken. She isn’t sure what to think. She doesn’t hate Sasuke, hardly knows him really, but if there’s one thing her father is good at it’s influencing her to think a certain way.

She finally picks a spot, turning on the boy with a fierce look in her eyes. He looks calm, hands casually in his pockets as he looks at her with an unreadable expression. It irritates her and she wants to wipe it off his face. “I’m not going to go easy on you,” she says firmly, slipping into an offensive stance.

“I wasn’t expecting you to,” Sasuke drawls in a voice that makes the hairs rise on her neck.

He is prepared when she attacks, blocking her with ease. She throws a punch at his face and he dodges to the side, smirking arrogantly. Within a minute Sakura is seeing red and her body is moving on autopilot. It shouldn’t be this hard. She should’ve pinned him within the first forty seconds of the fight, but instead she is struggling to grip the boy’s arm.

“I thought you were supposed to be good.” He taunts smugly and she knows he’s trying to get under her skin because it  _ works. _

They tussle for too long before she’s able to grip his forearm. A surge of excitement runs through her, a victorious grin breaking her face. Her world moves in slow motion, the thumping of her heart in her ears and a single movement changes everything. 

The grin on her face disappears when she tastes dirt in her mouth.

x

Sakura walks home livid. She replays the fight in her head over and over, trying to find what she did so wrong until it gives her a headache. While Sasuke was reprimanded for not following the training, he was praised in the same breath for his skill. Sakura had never had a teacher look at her with such disappointment before.

x

Dinner is quiet. Itachi’s spot is empty and Sakura misses him desperately each passing day he spends on a top priority mission to Kusagakure. She wants the relief of his presence, a barrier against her father, but instead of her brother, Fugaku talks to her. “I heard you have a new teacher down at the academy, it’s about time.”

Sakura grits her teeth, counts to ten, and fails to keep the irritation from her voice, “She’s only a substitute, father. Iruka-sensei should be back next week.”

Fugaku makes a disappointed click with his tongue and Sakura nearly breaks her chopsticks. “Shame,” he says, “I hear Nakano is far more reputable than Iruka is.”

“Would you like more radish, honey?”

Sakura closes her eyes, lets her mom distract her father for a brief moment.  _ One one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand…  _ The counting never works, but she likes to think she has some control over this situation.

“How are Nakano’s teachings? Did you learn anything?” 

Sakura wishes he would stop talking. Of all the days to feel chatty, today is one she’d prefer him ignoring her. She knows what he’s asking. Years of picking up subtle hints, she is good at reading between the lines with her father by now. “She’s strict. She made Naruto run twenty laps in a minute when he got mouthy. He failed of course and she failed him in the exercise. It’s only been one day so I don’t really know if she’s a good teacher or not.”

Fugaku hums like he’s just received good news and Sakura knows, inwardly, he only listened to one word. “Strict is a good sign,” he says calmly, “Strict means discipline and discipline means that maybe you’ll stay in line.” He stares at her pointedly.

She doesn’t meet his eyes. “Yes, father.”

The meal lapses into silence and some tiny part of Sakura that is still angry at Sasuke from earlier makes her take a risk. “I got paired with Sasuke-kun for the exercise today.” She doesn’t have to look up to know that her father has stopped eating.

“Come again?” He says quietly, voice tense. 

“Sasuke-kun. You know, Haruno Sasuke?”

Fugaku sets down his chopsticks, his face set sternly as he stares at his daughter searchingly. “...Ah. that one,” he says slowly, like he’s picking which words he wants to say. Sakura’s heart is pounding in something that, for once, isn’t fear.  “The boy who has been accused of Uchiha descendant. Disgraceful rumors, if you ask me.” It’s hard for her not to smile, a sick satisfaction twisting in her gut as her father drones on, “Although, thanks to Noburu, they have quieted for the moment. I hope it lasts, this is the last thing our clan needs right now.” He pauses in his rambling, as if remembering he is in the presence of his family, “How did you fare in the exercise?”

Sakura smiles easily, ignoring her good conscience that is nipping at the back of her mind, telling her it’s wrong to take pleasure in this.  _ He deserves it,  _ she reasons with her inner self.  _ He embarrassed me in front of everyone.  _

“Well,” she says coolly, “I won.”


End file.
